A House of Prayer for All Nations
"There is no other Rock"
Two things you can tap
- A verse number shows the Bible’s exact words.
- An underlined word shows what it means.
Read
What does it say?
This is a plain-language guide, not a translation. Check it against the Bible text any time.
Tap a verse number, like , to read the Bible’s exact words.
The whole message, in shortThe main points of the whole message, in a few sentences.
God said, "I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God but Me." He called the Persian king Cyrus his anointed to set his people free. He told the people to look to Abraham, the rock they were cut from, and promised that his salvation would last forever. He welcomed foreigners and outsiders into his house, "a house of prayer for all the nations," reached out to people who never sought him, and promised, "As a mother comforts her son, so will I comfort you."
Where it is in the Bible: Isaiah 44 to 66
All the sections at a glanceA map of the message, with the verses for each section.
Map of the Message
| Section | Verses | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| 1. There Is No Other Rock | 44:6-8 | The LORD is the first and the last |
| 2. Cyrus, God's Tool | 45:1-7 | God uses a foreign king to free his people |
| 3. Look to the Rock | 51:1-6 | Remember Abraham, and trust God's salvation |
| 4. A House of Prayer | 56:1-8 | Foreigners and outsiders are welcome |
| 5. Here I Am | 65:1-9 | God reaches out to people who didn't look for him |
| 6. As a Mother Comforts | 66:10-14 | God comforts like a mother |
Before You Read
Where these words come from. The later chapters of Isaiah, spoken to God's people during and after their exile in Babylon, in the 500s BC.
What was happening. The people had lost everything: their temple, their city, their land. Some had come home to ruins. They wondered if God was still theirs. Some outsiders who had joined God's people wondered if they would be welcome.
What this passage is. Six short messages from Isaiah 44 to 66. Together they say: there is no God but the LORD, he uses even foreign kings for his plan, and his house is for everyone.
How to read it. Notice who God welcomes: foreigners, outsiders, people who never asked for him.
Section by Section
Section 1 of 6There Is No Other Rock
"I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God but Me" (44:6).
"Do not tremble or fear" (44:8).
"There is no other Rock; I know not one" (44:8).
Section 2 of 6Cyrus, God's Tool
Cyrus was the king of Persia. He didn't worship the LORD.
Yet God calls him "His anointed" (45:1), chosen for a job: to conquer Babylon and let God's people go home.
"For the sake of Jacob My servant and Israel My chosen one, I call you by name" (45:4).
"I am the LORD, and there is no other; there is no God but Me" (45:5).
God is in charge of all of history, the light and the dark.
Section 3 of 6Look to the Rock
"Look to the rock from which you were cut, and to the quarry from which you were hewn" (51:1).
Remember Abraham and Sarah. When God called Abraham, he was just one man. God made him a great people.
"For the LORD will comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; He will make her wilderness like Eden" (51:3).
God's justice will be a light to the nations.
The sky and earth will wear out like old clothes. "But My salvation will last forever, and My righteousness will never fail" (51:6).
Section 4 of 6A House of Prayer
"Maintain justice and do what is right, for My salvation is coming soon" (56:1).
Some foreigners who followed God feared they would be shut out. Some men who could never have children felt like dry, dead trees.
God says to them: you will have a place in my house, and a name better than sons and daughters.
God will bring foreigners who love him to his holy mountain.
"For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations" (56:7).
"I will gather to them still others besides those already gathered" (56:8).
Section 5 of 6Here I Am
"I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me" (65:1).
To people who never called his name, God said, "Here I am! Here I am!"
"All day long I have held out My hands to an obstinate people" (65:2).
Some people thought they were holier than others. God says their pride is like smoke in his nose.
But God won't destroy everyone. Like a farmer who saves a cluster with good grapes, he will save his servants.
Section 6 of 6As a Mother Comforts
"Be glad for Jerusalem and rejoice over her, all who love her" (66:10).
God will give peace like a river.
His people will be carried and bounced on her knees, like a happy child.
"As a mother comforts her son, so will I comfort you" (66:13).
"When you see, you will rejoice, and you will flourish like grass" (66:14).
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "I am the first and I am the last" (44:6) | God was before everything and will be after everything. |
| "There is no other Rock" (44:8) | Only God is solid enough to trust. |
| "His anointed" (45:1) | God chose Cyrus for a special job. |
| "Look to the rock from which you were cut" (51:1) | Remember where you came from and what God did. |
| "A house of prayer for all the nations" (56:7) | God welcomes people from everywhere. |
| "I was found by those who did not seek Me" (65:1) | God reaches out first. |
| "As a mother comforts her son" (66:13) | God's love is tender and close. |
Back Then
Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon in 539 BC and let the exiles return home and rebuild the temple (Ezra 1:1-4).
Eunuchs were men who had been castrated, often to serve in royal courts. They couldn't have children and weren't allowed into parts of the temple (Deuteronomy 23:1). Isaiah 56 promises them a place.
Paul quotes Isaiah 65:1 to show that God reached out to the Gentiles (Romans 10:20).
Literal Reader Alert
Does God cause evil? When God says he forms light and darkness, prosperity and calamity, he means nothing is outside his control, even hard times. It doesn't mean he does evil.
Is God a mother? The Bible calls God Father, and also uses mother pictures to show his tender care (Isaiah 49:15, Matthew 23:37).
Why would God use a king who didn't know him? God can work through anyone to carry out his plans, even people who don't believe in him.
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The exiles | Afraid | God tells them not to tremble (44:8) |
| The foreigner | Left out | He feared God would exclude him (56:3) |
| The eunuch | Hopeless | He felt like a dry tree (56:3) |
| Jerusalem's mourners | Comforted | God comforts like a mother (66:13) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
What do you need to hear? Tap one.
I don't feel like I belong
God's house is a house of prayer for all nations.
I wasn't looking for God
He was found by those who did not seek him.
Everything feels shaky
There is no other Rock. His salvation lasts forever.
I need comfort
As a mother comforts her child, God comforts you.
You Might Have Heard
"Church is for people who already fit in."
What's true: God gathers his people together.
What the passage is mainly about: God promised foreigners and outsiders a place in his house, and a name better than sons and daughters. "My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations" (56:7).
Where Jesus is: He quoted these words, welcomed outsiders, and gathered "still others" into God's family.
Good News
God doesn't wait for you to find him.
"I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me" (65:1).
He welcomes outsiders, comforts like a mother, and his salvation lasts forever.
There is no God but the LORD. He rules history, reaches out to people who weren't looking for him, and makes his house a house of prayer for all nations.
Big Idea
There is no God but the LORD, and there is no other Rock. He reaches out to people who never looked for him, comforts like a mother, and makes his house a house of prayer for all nations.
If this message brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
Luther taught that God comes to us before we come to him. In the Small Catechism, he says the Holy Spirit calls us by the gospel, because we cannot come to Christ by our own strength.
In Church
Many churches follow the Revised Common Lectionary. It reads these passages on Sundays in the season after Pentecost: Isaiah 56:1, 6-8 and 51:1-6 in Year A (Lectionary 20 and 21), 45:1-7 in Year A (Lectionary 29), and 65:1-9 and 66:10-14 in Year C (Lectionary 12 and 14).
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations.
How did that feel?
You finished A House of Prayer for All Nations.
Using this at church
Read in church on
- Lectionary 12 Year CFirst reading, Isaiah 65:1-9
- Lectionary 14 Year CFirst reading, Isaiah 66:10-14
- Lectionary 16 Year AFirst reading, Wisdom of Solomon 12:13, 16-19 or Isaiah 44:6-8
- Lectionary 20 Year AFirst reading, Isaiah 56:1, 6-8
- Lectionary 21 Year AFirst reading, Isaiah 51:1-6
- Lectionary 29 Year AFirst reading, Isaiah 45:1-7
For a newsletter or sermon notes
A House of Prayer for All Nations, explained in plain words. God uses a foreign king, welcomes outsiders, and comforts his people like a mother. About 10 minutes. https://freescripture.org/stories/a-house-of-prayer-for-all-nations/
Lines for the next eight Sundays, on Digital Lutheran Church